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Lifetime achievement award presented to Scottish journalist

Latest figures published by Newsquest’s American owners Gannett show that the regional newspaper arm of the company in the UK enjoyed more than 62m page impressions per month from approximately 4.8m unique users last year. Newsquest publishes nearly 300 titles, including 18 daily newspapers, and a network of prize-winning web sites. The company report also said that advertising revenues for Newsquest as a whole last year were 6.5 per cent lower.

Noel Donaldson, reporter with the Caithness Courier and John O’Groat Journal, was the winner of this year’s Barron Trophy, which recognises lifetime achievement in journalism in the Highlands and Islands. Noel, (62), received his award from Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond at the Highlands and Islands Press Ball. He joined the Wick-based freelance agency run by his late father, John “Hot News” Donaldson at the age of 15 and took over the agency in 1967. Successive jobs took him from The Orcadian, to the Banffshire Advertiser, the Ellon Times, the Largs and Millport Weekly News and the Greenock Evening Telegraph.

An ABC electronic count for November recorded more than 2.5m page views for www.expressandstar.com, the online version of Britain’s bestselling regional newspaper, the Express & Star. The total was up 90% on the previous audit of the site, carried out in April 2007, which recorded 1.3m. Meanwhile, page impressions for the Shropshire Star’s website have gone up by more than a quarter in seven months, official new figures show. An ABC electronic count in November recorded 1,025,979 page views for www.shropshirestar.com, the online version of Britain’s fifth bestselling regional newspaper, the Shropshire Star.

Major staff changes at New Nation, Britain’s leading African and Caribbean weekly newspaper, see Lester Holloway appointed acting editor following the retirement of Michael Eboda, who will concentrate on his private media company. Senior reporter Danielle Weekes starts work next week, and the paper has a new columnist, Toyin Agbetu, a new events listings editor, Sophia Jackson, and new Christian page writer, Antonia Hines.

Nine-month-old Bradley Spanton was the star of the show when he was presented with a life-saving monitor bought with the help of Hunts Post readers. The appeal to buy a home blood testing machine for Bradley was launched in the Archant Herts & Cambs title with a £7,000 target. Within days readers had sent in cheques amounting to £115 and Godmanchester insurance company, Sureterm Direct stepped in to say staff would give up their Christmas bonuses to make up the rest of the money. MD Andy Wood said they would pay the whole £7,000 if necessary.

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